Safety razor



J. LONG SAFETY RAZOR Apri124, 1934.

Filed Jan. l1 1932 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZORJames Long, Dunedin, New Zealand Application January 11,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to safety razors, and apparatus used. for shavingbeards and for like purposes. In well known types there are severalparts including a handle, a safety guard member, razor l blade and bladecap.

In well known types of safety razors, these parts on becoming detachedfrom the handle are separate members: upon unscrewing the handle itdisengages from the blade cap which is provided with an external screwthreaded stud, which projects sufciently far enough to pass through theblade and through the guard member, and engages with an internallyconstructed thread in the handle. After washing the razor and uponassembly there are four members to handle: generally the process is asfollows: having the blade cap in hand the razor blade is placed thereonand then the blade guard so that the externally threaded stud projectsthrough the blade guard, through 205 the hole made central therein andthe handle is applied to the stud thus projecting to screw there-l onand clamp the members together.

'Ihe construction thus described is objectionable in that it is requiredto wash the members separately, collect them separately, and assemblethem one member at a time.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections.

According to my invention the razor cap and the I guard member aresemi-detachablel while the blade itself is wholly detachable and thehandle is attached to the said guard member, having rotatable or/andslidable means associated therewith to engage with the cap for thepurpose of clamping the razor blade between the said cap and guard.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure l is a side elevation of the safety razo assembled.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of Figure 1, through the centrethereof.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional elevation showing a modification of theconstruction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation oi further modification of theconstructionalfeatures illustrated l in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a part sectional elevation Figure-1, similar to Figure 2,the cap member being shown in disengagement with the handle member andturned on its pivot outwards,

Figure 6 is a still further modification of' con- 1932, Serial N0.586,002

structional features illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

Figure 7 is a part sectional elevation of the lower end of Figure 6sho-wing screw threaded means for turning the spindle, for stemengagement with l the blade cap, giving the same range of slidablemovement illustrated in the said Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan View of the guard produced from Figure 5, all theparts below the said guard are omitted and the blade cap is diagrammati-G5 cally indicated.

There is a blade cap 1, approximately the same shape as the existingone, with a screw threaded projecting stud 2 produced from the innersurface 3 thereof, and preferably two short metal 70 dowels 4, one ofwhich is indicated in Figure l, or their equivalents to engage the blade5 and blade guard 6 for stability, and to assist in maintaining theblade in its normal shaving position after assembly.

There are suitable lugs '7 (preferably four) attached to the blade cap1, which are disposed preferably one to each of the four corners of thesaid cap and produced therefrom, one pair on either side of the cap. isadapted to register with lugs 8 on the blade guard 6 and be 4pivotallyattached thereto. kThe other pair 7A are guide lugs and assist inretaining the blade 5 in position. As an alternative to the metal dowelsthere may be small ribs on the inner surface of the S55 cap to coincidewith grooves in the blade guard, or alternatively a depression in thecap to engage with a rib or ridge on the blade guard to retain the bladein position.

The blade guard 6, which is also approximate- 1y the same shape asexisting' guards as to its general appearance, is provided with dowelholes 9 or alternative ridgesor depressions for retaining the blade inposition. If in manufacture dowel holes 9 are accepted it is desirablethat theV 95 said holes should be semi-countersunk as indicated at 9A tolead the metal dowels 4 into engagement when assembling the razor. In alike manner the hole 15 is semi-countersunk as indicated at 15A giving alead to the screw threaded 100 stud 2.

There is a pivot pin 10 of small diameter attached to the lugs '7 formedon either end ofthe blade cap at the cornersthereof, to form pivotal`connection through the medium of lugs on' the 105 blade' guard 6. Analternative, describing an equivalent means to pivotally couplethe'blade cap and the blade guard, comprises links in pairsdisposed'onieither end of the said' cap and guard at the cornersthereof, the said links on the cap and guard registering with each otherin pairs, and pivotally connected so that the cap may turn thereon as inthe manner of a hinge.

The handle 12 is preferably similar in appearance to the existingpattern, with the exception that it is secured to the blade guardthrough the medium of a sleeve 13, the hole 14 therein being disposedconcentric with the hole 15 through the blade guard 6 on attachment. Oneend of the tube forming the handle 12 is attached to the sleeve member13, and at the other end of the said tube is tted a cap member 16 whichforms a bearing for a rotatable spindle 17, the end of which projectsthrough the said cap bearing: a head 18 is attached to the projectingpart of the spindle and fixed thereto to render the said spindlerotatable by finger and thumb action on manipulating the head 18.

There is a slidable and rotatable member 19 part of which is housedwithin the tube forming part of the handle 12, and part of which ishoused within the sleeve 13. There is an internal screw thread 20 cut inthe part of the member 19 slid* able within the sleeve 13 and in thepart rotatable and slidable within the tube there is a slot 21 cut toengage with a pin 22 secured to the rotatable spindle, the ends of thesaid pin projecting beyond the diameter of the rotatable spindle 17 forthe purpose of giving the slidable member 19 the desired range of itslongitudinal movement within the sleeve 13 also for the purpose ofrotating the said slidable member 19 by the finger and thumb actionaforesaid, when ap plied to the rotatable spindle.

It is preferable that the portion of the slidable member 19 that isproduced within a sleeve 13 is of smaller diameter than that portion ofthe slidable member 19 that is within the tube handle 12. Thisconstruction forms a shoulder 23 which is adapted to butt against theface of the sleeve member as in Figure 2, simultaneously with theconclusion of the maximum amount of strain applied to the head of therotatable spindle for the purpose of clamping the razor blade 5betweenits cap 1 and guard member 6 and to prevent any undue strain.'

As an alternative and in place of the slidable rotatable member, thespindle itself may be made slidable and rotatable as in Figure 6. Inthis construction the cap bearing 16 is dispensed with permitting playbetween the end 12A of the tube member forming part of the handle andthe bead 18A of the head 18 giving the desired range of longitudinalmovement for the said spindle to recede to allow the blade cap member 1with the blade 5 to engage the guard plate 6 before the externallythreaded stud 2 on the blade cap 1 engages with the internally cut screwthread 20 on the top end of the slidable rotatable spindle 17, and uponturning the said spindle by the finger and thumb action applied to thehead 18, the screw engages, and the play between the end 12A of the tubemember and the said bead 18A of the head is taken up in the process ofclamping the blade 5 between the cap 1 and guard 6 to fix the said blade5 in its normal shaving position. There is a collar 24 attached to theinner end of the spindle to limit the longitudinal movement and preventthe total withdrawal of the said spindle.

There is still another alternative in addition to L the foregoingdescribed construction, comprising a screw thread 25 out internally inthe handle Y tube and a screw thread 26 out externally on the spindle,the length of thread cut both externally and internally being lasilittle more than the amount of play allowed between the end of the tubeand the bead 18A in the head member 18. This method renders the spindle17 fixedly rigid and the play in the spindle 17 is taken up solely inthe process of rotating the spindle 17 and is not slidable otherwise.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 3, the handle 12 rotates whilethe sleeve 13 is stationary and fixed to the guard 6. The slidablemotion in the rotatable slidable member described in the othermodications is done away with and in place of being slidable therotatable member 19A is xed to the handle member 12 so that it rotateswith the said handle without any slidable movement. The said rotatablemember 19A is produced beyond the upper end of the handle member,providing means for rotatable conjunction with a sleeve member 13, apart of the rotatable member 19A projecting beyond the handle is boredand screw threaded at 20A to register with the screw threaded stud 2(omitted in this figure) on the blade cap. There is a collar 2GB formedat the top end of the produced part to prevent disengagement of thehandle member and the sleeve 13. In this construction there is provisionfor the blade cap 1 (not shown in this figure) to have sufficient playso that the stud 2 thereon when assembled permits the iirst thread ofthe screw to engage without any danger of crossing the said thread,comprising a slot as indicated at 11A in the lug 11 for a pivot 10instead of a round hole to receive the pivot pin as indicated at 10 inthe other figures.

Referring again to Figure 8, instead of the edges of the guard 6 havingprojections 27 in the usual way, it may be desirable for the inclusionof a reinforcing bar from end to end of the guard integral with the saidteeth forming slots which would be preferably elongated to give greaterclearance to free the lather and beard, in the process of shaving. Theconstruction as suggested herein is indicated by dotted lines at 28,Figure 8.

In the new manufacture and assembly of the several parts, it will bereadily understood from the foregoing description of my invention thatthe razor blade 5 is the only separate member, and its application tothe cap 1 is a simple process. Upon disengaging the internally screwthreaded slidable member 19, and the externally screw threaded stud 2,the cap 1 may swing on its pivot 10 through an arc, approximately ninetydegrees as indicated in Figure 5, and the blade being applied to theface of the cap, engaging the metal dowels and the stud, is held looselythereon, and is, in addition to the said dowel or screw, in a measureprevented from slipping or falling off the cap by the lugs'7 and 7Aattached to the said cap, and renders it practicable for the outfit tobe washed without dismembering any part of it.

To replace the cap 1 and blade 5 to normal shaving position, either thecap member 1 or the guard 6 may be turned on the pivot 10, the 14() 1.In combination with a guard member, a cap member having loose pivotalconnection therewith a spindle, a non-rotatable and non-slidable tubularhandle having a sleeve-like extension at one end thereof, a rotatableand slidable member slidable on the said spindle and rotatabletherewith, and having part thereof rotatably and slidably disposedwithin the said non-rotatable and non-slidable tubular handle and partwithin said sleevelike extension of the said handle, and means on saidcap member engageable with said rotatable and slidable member to securethe cap member in position.

2. In combination with a guard member, a cap memberhavingloosepivotalconnection therewith, arotatable spindle, a rotatable and slidablemember having an internal screw thread cut in the top end thereof forscrew engagement with an external screw thread cut on a stud projectingfrom said cap member, the said slidable and rotatable member having aslot formed in the lower end thereof, a driving pin projecting beyondthe diameter of the said rotatable spindle and engaging said slot.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the provisionof a non-rotatable and non-slidable tubular handle receiving saidspindle and having a sleeve-like extension, said rotatable and slidablemember being received partly in said handle and partly in said eX-tension.

JAMES LONG.

